OK I'll freely admit I'm not infantry and seldom get nearer danger than KAF or Bastion so might well be talking out of my hoop.

But a conversation I had this morning got me thinking. 6 month Op tours are theoretically coming round every four years, or will do now Telic has wound down. But why not switch to 8 month tours?

I know no one wants to be out there longer but again, theoretically tours and PDT would come round only every 6 years, and which sounds better, one 8 month tour every six years or two 6 month tours every 8? No idea of Optag, PDT and the rests typical costs, but only having to run it three times in two years is probably cheaper than running it four. That might be handy now we're broke.

It would also help give a bit more breathing space on the air bridge to and from theatre. With people cycling through less often that would also help make R&R trips easier than at present!

There's probably something I've failed to consider with all this, so any thoughts?

The tours in Afghan are already getting on for 7 months long once you've taken the rip into account. In 2007 we arrived at the beginning of April and we left near the end of October.

And then when you add the PDT and the training we do before the PDT kicks in you can probably add another couples of months on to that with exercises and the like before you deploy.

I think an extra month wouldn't do much to ease the pressure and would simply burn the blokes out quicker, especially the guys who'll end up in a FOB or in the case of the BRF out on patrol for the majority of that time.

Some people reguarly have done 8 month tours, even tours back to back. I think it depends of the trade, or their usefullness.

It shouldnt be too much to make the standard tour 8 months long, with a R+R at the 2, 4, and 6 month intervals. Nice idea. Put it on a Post Card to whoever the Prime Minister is right now. (Cant bring myself to say his name)

In my humble opinion people who are keen on the longer tour either work in the budget saving side of the military/mod or spend their tours in Bastion/KAF either of which is more then comfortable for an extended period however majority of locations outside are not.

As someone mentioned the benefits of extending a tour by two months would not outway the damage it could do to frontline units in terms of combat effectiveness and moral.
I dont think there is a solution to the problem but think 6month tours are the lesser of many evils.

Perhaps the answer may be units specialising in certain specific tasks for each and every tour and being given specific kit to task to train within the UK for that job (aware that some units already do this but perhaps to go further)
Yes this may narrow our ability as a whole but let us be honest and accept we could not deploy any significant force anywhere else in the world whilst Afghanistan is in its current state so perhaps it is best to focus fully on the task at hand.

I believe with the exception of some taskings we operate a 'jack of all trades,master of none' policy with regards to operational deployments, perhaps a more specific role for each unit deployed and shorter but more frequent tours within that role for a set period, say two years, would allow us to deploy troops who know their jobs to a far more professional and operationally effective level then is current, for example 2xbatt deployed 4 on 4 off in Air assault role in theatre, training specifically in all tasks using wide variety of SH (both UK and ally)for that role and not dealing with other taskings unless absolutely necessary.

9 and 12 month tours are now a reality for some people not filling 'fighting' jobs. There have been arguments in favour of increasing tour lengths (to 8 or even 12 months) and also in reducing tour lengths to 4 months ( no R&R, 100% combat power for the full tour etc) doing the rounds for some time. I think 6 month tours every two/two and a half years is reasonable, as long as 'the sh*t inbetween' is reduced to the minimum; although I say that as an officer who bounces in and out of a Battalion, rather than a jock who remains with the Bn for his entire career. From a personal perspective the prospect of a 12 month tour will seriously make me reconsider my position in HM Forces - US experience that young families are really struggling with it.

9 months as a nurse is very different from 9 months as point man, the fact that you dont see the difference says enough.

If I was told I was guaranteed to be staying in KAF or Bastion with no time on the ground I would happily accept the extension, as well I should. After all are you not there to support the teeth arm (I include all groups inf,eng,log etc in this) of the force in theatre? the people for example whose scoff doesnt come from the pizza hut by the naafi?

From a personal view I was fortunate enough not to be constrained to a FOB on my last tour but bounced about all over, I can honestly say how blokes survive six months in Inkerman is beyond me and based on that alone I could not support an extension just for the poor blokes that might have to live there,pure shitehole.

Well heard from someone who works in AFG that the accomodation is being hugely expanded. This is supposedly to accomodate families, at least for the Americans, when AFG will become a posting rather than a tour

When it comes to managing commitments there are a range of options: shorter tours no r&r, longer tours and bigger tour intervals etc. Take your pick, they all have merits if you just want to manage the war.

However, I think the key issue is what do we need to do to win? I'd rather do a bloody long tour once than getting back on the dam horse every 18-24 months for the rest of my career.

Maybe then we would be a lot more focused about finishing this campaign than seeing our tour out with our fingers crossed.

If you think for one minute that you could extend the tour from 6 months to 8, without some MOD suit identifying that a saving could be made by cutting an Infantry Bn or two (instead of 4 Bns to cover two years, you now only need 3!)

Remember when the NI tours were 4 months long? Took 3 Battalions to cover one year, extend tours to six months, hey presto, you only need 2 Inf Bns!! so one could be disbanded!

scots_wahey was quite correct (and very honest) when he said;

"although I say that as an officer who bounces in and out of a Battalion, rather than a jock who remains with the Bn for his entire career".

OK for Officers (god bless them who just need the Op tick in the box before taking up a desk somewhere nice), but the NCO's and (in my case) Gdsm would suffer terribly.